Schisandrol A, the main active ingredient of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus, inhibits pulmonary fibrosis through suppression of the TGF- β signaling pathway as revealed by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS, network pharmacology and experimental verification

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Schisandra chinensis decoction derived from the book of Waitai Miyao (Tao Wang, Tang dynasty) is often used in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which is included in the Grand Ceremony of Chinese formulae (Huairen Peng, 1994). Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus (Sch) is one of the most important herbs in this formula. According to the Shennong's Herbal Classicherbal of the Han Dynasty, Sch has sour taste, warm nature, which has the effect of tonifying qi and curing cough. In addition, according to the Compendium of Materia Medica of the Ming Dynasty, Sch is used to treat cough and asthma, which has the effect of moistening the lung and tonifying the kidney. However, the active ingredients of Sch absorption into the plasma and its pharmacological mechanism of treatment for IPF still remained unclear. Aim of the study: Our research aimed at identifying the absorbed active ingredients and metabolized of Sch in rat plasma and the mechanism of anti-IPF based on serum pharmacochemistry. Materials and methods: First, the rats were divided into control group and Sch group. Sch sample was orally administrated to the rats for seven days. The blood samples were drawn into an Eppendorf tube after the last dosing. The ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was applied to identify the absorption components and metabolites of Sch in rat plasma. Second, the network pharmacology combined with molecular docking analysis was further investigated to illuminate its potential mechanism of treatment for IPF by the biological targets regulating related pathways.Finally, the mechanism of action was verified by experimental in vitro and in vivo. Results: A total of 78 compounds, consist of 13 prototype lignans and 65 metabolites (including isomers) were identified. Network pharmacology study and molecular docking analysis indicated that schisandrol A (L1) play an anti-fibrosis role by regulating the TGF-beta signaling pathway. Experimental in vitro and in vivo verified that the schisandrol A could inhibiting pulmonary fibrosis through TGF-beta signaling pathway. The effect and mechanism of schisandrol A inhibiting pulmonary fibrosis were reported for the first time. Conclusions: In this study, the absorption active ingredients of Sch in rat plasma were combined with the network pharmacology investigation and experimental in vitro and in vivo to elucidate its biological mechanism of treatment for IPF. The results provided a theoretical support for understanding the bioactive compounds and the pharmacological mechanism of Sch.

Automated summary

This study identified the absorbed active ingredients and metabolites of Schisandra in rat plasma, and illuminated its biological mechanism of treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis through experimental and network pharmacology investigation.